Friday, October 25, 2013

Boyband Mania: New songs by One Direction and The Fooo

The whole concept of a boyband has changed a lot these past couple of years. I went through high school during the age of Backstreet Boys and Nsync, so that kind of fluffy, melodic (and frankly, kinda awesome) music was inescapable. This generation's equivalents have a lot more edge, though, and thankfully are also willing to dabble in different genres. This brings me to the new singles by One Direction and The Fooo. In my mind, they're the two most important and interesting boybands of this new era (forgetting of course all the amazing groups coming out of Korea). However, these songs couldn't be more different. On one hand, we've got the melodic, gentle folk-pop of the new One Direction single (which I think is going to be huge for them, by the way) and on the other end of the spectrum we have Freestyler, The Fooo's jarring, rap-heavy cover of the 90's song by The Bomfunk MC's. Both are fantastic in their own way and cater to each group's identity. Both groups could have easily released anything and floated by on their looks and charisma, but it's comforting to know that the music is actually good. A couple of years ago, I wouldn't have counted myself a fan of "boybands" at all, but groups like these have consistently surprised me with the quality of their output. Forget labels. If you like polished, BIG pop music, these are your guys.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Reece Mastin - Girls (All Around the World)

"I've been everywhere"

There's something refreshing about how Reece Mastin's music is kind of a throwback to the Sum 41's and Blink 182's of the late 90's/early 00's. It's not even a style that I love all that much, but it holds a strong nostalgia or me, and I was a huge fan of Mastin's triumphant run on X-Factor Australia two years ago. Girls (All Around The World) is his new single, and continues the brand of punchy pop/punk he released on his first album. It really sounds like the Summer, which I guess makes sense since it's that time of year in Australia. But it's kind of a strange track to hear as Winter is creeping up on us here in the States. Still, a blast of sunny singalong pop isn't unappreciated by me anytime of the year!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Youngblood Hawke - Dannyboy

"There's a world outside your window"

Youngblood Hawke is one of those bands that I keep hearing about but for some reason never checked out. I guess I thought they were something different than they are. I had no idea so many of their songs had such a strong, anthemic pop push. We Come Running is their calling card -- a massive stomper that demands you to sing along. However, their newest single, Dannyboy, cements them as a band of interest to me. It's heavy on the synths and has a wonderfully driving chorus perched halfway between pop and rock. Their debut album is filled with similar tracks and seems *this* close to really breaking out. Keep an eye on them.

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Jett Rebel - Do You Love Me At All

"I'm surprised that you called"

While trawling the worldwide itunes charts, I stumbled on this little ditty from the Netherlands. It instantly struck me because it's a complete throwback. This is classic garage glam rock--a total punch of adrenaline in less than three minutes. Something like the Strokes or Jet covering a track by the Sweet. I mean, with a moniker like Jett Rebel, could it be anything else? One listen to the incessant hook of this energetic single and you'll be hooked. It's been out for quite a few months now, and part of an EP that continues the classic glam fun. I know it won't be to everyone's taste, but if you're in the mood for something of this nature, this will be exactly the song you're looking for.

the bias list//

skyship academy//

...Transmissions come in from outposts all over the universe... Unfamiliar melodies stream into our radios... Fronted by colorful aliens with big voices... The music begins to catch on ... It's in our heads and it refuses to leave... And we like it...

I post music on this blog out of love for the artists and in the hope that I can promote the singers and bands that I am so passionate about. If you are (or represent) an artist and would like any content taken down, don't hesitate to email me at the link above and it will be removed immediately.